. . . and prepared in less time, on occasion, than it takes to recite the title and sub-title since Sylvia Schur (she takes only two minutes to sculpt radishes--how many radishes?) gets things done in a hurry. Any cookbook, continental in inflection, saving minutes as well as dollars, innovatively improving on Swanson's and Stouffer's, is of course welcome. There are 264 recipes here from basic (Pear Plus--a ripe pear plus cheese) to paella in 18 minutes or duckling in 25, all the way from antipastos to breads and desserts. On occasion you wonder: can one pound of crabmeat cum sauce, eggs and breadcrumbs fill the void of six people? For the most part, however, the recipes sound attractive enough particularly for the ""working livealoner"" and they are directed at just that audience--the young woman who wishes to rise above a hamburger with her souffle.